Hi everyone! Quick question from a total beginner.
I grew up thinking all poems had to rhyme (roses are red, etc.) but I'm noticing most poems shared here don't rhyme at all. Is rhyming poetry "old fashioned" or something? Am I doing it wrong if I like rhymes?
Feeling a bit confused about the "rules" here.
Great question! No, poems definitely don't have to rhyme.
Here's a quick history: Until the 20th century, most English poetry did use rhyme and meter. Then poets like T.S. Eliot and William Carlos Williams pioneered "free verse" - poetry without strict rhyme or meter.
Today, both exist side by side. Rhyming poetry is NOT old-fashioned - it's a choice. Some contemporary poets use rhyme beautifully. Others don't.
If you love rhyme, embrace it! Just be careful of "forced rhymes" - where the rhyme drives your word choice instead of your meaning.
To add to WordSmithJay's excellent answer: there's also a middle ground!
Poetry is about sound, and rhyme is one tool for creating pleasing sounds. But it's not the only tool!
This is so helpful, thank you all! I feel better about my rhyming poems now. Maybe I'll try some free verse too and see how it feels.
I write sonnets - very traditional, very rhyme-heavy. And I also write free verse. Different poems call for different approaches.
Don't let anyone make you feel like rhyming is "lesser." Some of the greatest poems in English rhyme exquisitely.